Don Hesprich was born the son of an Air Force Lt. Col. At Barksdale AFB in Shreveport. La. On July 15th, 1956. Don's parents met when his father was injured during the bombing of Peal Harbor on Dec. 7th, 1941 and his mother was serving as a surgical nurse with the Civilian Nurses Corp.  The grandson of the famous engineer, Einar M. Arentzen, Don followed in that profession after graduating from Milwaukee School of Engineering as a Mechanical Engineer.Â
Don spent 40 years as a Machine Design and Project Engineer for many Fortune 500 companies and was forced to retire from Michelin NA after loosing a substantial portion of his central vision. Don was issued 22 patents during his career and was member of several regulatory and supervisory boards. He continued his education and received advanced degrees and certifications in engineering and composites.
Don graduated from Oceanside High School in 1974, Don was a track and field competitor in the shot put and discus where he enjoyed great success winning four varsity letters and was named co-captain of the team. Don continued to compete in Masters track and field into his 60s and managed to win the USATF SE Regional Discus Championship in 2015.
After retiring, Don turned his eye towards his love of the throwing events in track and field to become a coach so he could give back to the sport he loved. Don began coaching masters athletes for the Piedmont Pacers and youth athletes for the Hurley Y Warriors in 2013. Don was Certified by the United States Track and Field Association as a Level 1 coach in 2014, after gaining the required experience, he returned to obtain his USATF Level II in the Throws discipline in 2018. Concurrently attaining Certified Coaching status for NFHS with a sub certifications in many sport and safety related areas.Â
In May of 2016 Don was invited by Head Coach Justin Davis to assist in a Livingstone students desire to throw a NCAA provisional distance. After that student fell just short (needed 15.95m he threw 15.89), Coach Davis saw enough in Don to invite him to join the Livingstone coaching team in September of 2016. Don has worked steadfastly since then to guide the throwing Blue Bears while instilling an importance in their educational pursuits. Don also has pursued his own training and education as a coach and attained the education requirements for his USATF certification in Sports Science.
Don lives with his wife Cindy in Salisbury, NC. He is an active member of the Salisbury Lions Club where he was president for 2017-2018 and is a project member of the Salisbury Civitan Club where he was Sgt. At Arms for three years. His hobbies include metalworking and restoring their 115 year old home.
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